Grand Chief Sky-Deer to Speak on Hertel Line at National Assembly

Kahnawake – The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) wishes to inform the community that Ohén:ton Í:iente ne Ratitsénhaienhs (Grand Chief) Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer and Eric Doucet of MCK Legal Services will be in Quebec City tomorrow (Tuesday) to present to the Quebec National Assembly on Bill 13, the proposed adoption of the Law respecting the Hertel-New York Interconnection Line.

Through the Horizon Kahnawà:ke Hydro-Québec Limited Partnership (“the Partnership”), the MCK will be a partner in the Hertel Transmission Line Project and, with Hydro-Québec, will become joint owners of a 58-kilometer portion of the transmission line. Significantly, the reason for the creation of Bill 13 is to allow Hydro-Quebec to enter into the partnership agreements with MCK for the joint ownership of the Hertel Line and transfer its transmission infrastructure to a jointly owned partnership entity.

The presentation will be made to the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries, Energy and Natural Resources on the legislation, which is aimed at facilitating the transfer of electricity to New York City through the construction of a cross-border transmission line from Hydro-Québec’s Hertel Substation to Champlain, NY, and the Champlain-Hudson Power Express (CHPE). The project will deliver renewable, clean energy to power one million homes in the city of almost nine million.

“We will be providing feedback on Bill 13, which is the final step before we can formalize the agreements on the Hertel-New York Interconnection Line, and ensure it moves forward,” said Grand Chief Sky-Deer. “We’re proud to be playing a role in this project, which is of monumental importance not only to us, but also New York City, a place many Kahnawa’kehró:non have helped build for generations. It will provide much-needed ‘green’ energy to a city that currently relies almost exclusively on fossil fuels.

“While this project is aimed at powering NYC with a source of clean energy, it’s also an important project for Kahnawà:ke, creating another source of revenue as well as provide the community with potential job opportunities in the hydro-electric industry,” said Ratsénhaienhs Michael Delisle Jr., who holds the Economic Development Portfolio.